Bertolt Brecht
1898 - 1956
German poet and playwright whose theories of a relationship of alienation between audience and theatre had a marked inpact on the development of drama.
Brecht's guiding theatrical principle related to alienating the audience from the events on stage so that they could absorb the social and political significance of the characters' actions. This detachment, referred to as the Verfremdungs-Effekt was achieved through a number of theatrical devices which aim to make the audience contstantly aware that they are watching a dramatic production rather than an illusion of reality.
Living in an era of great ideological upheaval, Brecht was influenced by the works of Karl Marx and developed his own leftist political agenda. He left Germany for the United States after his works were banned by the government there, but he continued writing. Making use of the devices he introduced in order to ensure his political message would reach his audience, Brecht's works have become very influential in the study of drama.
Essays
Times of Brecht Context - An Analysis -- Evaluates of one of his most famous texts to the ideologies of its informing context.
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